All's Fair in Love and Revenge 37
by KaitlynRose
Summary: I have reposted several stories that got lost the last time this site crashed.


All's Fair in Love and Revenge 

Nathan stood on the bridge and watched as seaQuest docked at Pearl. He had apprised the UEO of the damages to his boat and he figured it was going to take about two weeks for the repairs to be made. He looked forward to getting his quarters fixed. Luckily he had a spare uniform in the laundry when their rooms flooded, but Lucas and Kristin were wearing the t-shirts and sweat pants she kept stocked in the med bay for the past two days. 

"Sir, General Thomas for you," said O'Neill. 

"On screen," Nathan ordered. 

"Aye sir." 

The next instant Gen. Thomas' face filled the big screen. "Hello, Captain." 

"General," Nathan greeted. 

"So I see you've managed to trash your boat once again," the General smirked. 

Nathan grinned and replied, "Yeah, but wait till you hear the story this time." 

"I'm looking forward to it," Thomas laughed. "I'll be expecting you in my office in one hour." 

"I don't suppose you could make it two?" asked Nathan. "I really need to take care of some things before I see you." 

"Fine, two it is," Thomas replied. "While your boat is being repaired we've made arrangements for your crew to stay on the base. You're senior crew will be staying at the Officers Dorm, the rest will get rooms in the barracks." 

"Thank you," Nathan said. "I'll see you in two hours." Nathan motioned for the link to be cut. 

"Well, you are all free to depart and head to your rooms on the base," Nathan said. "Dismissed." He didn't fail to notice that many of the faces were smiling, looking forward to some unexpected shore leave. Most naval bases were nothing special, but the base on Pearl was actually quite nice since it hosted a lot of important foreign dignitaries. Plus everyone would be free to leave the base and do a little sightseeing. 

He walked down to the labs to find Lucas and Kristin. Sure enough they were both together, Kristin ordering Lucas to fetch her items she needed for her experiment. Lucas had been spending a little extra time in here since he couldn't do much else with his arm in a sling. Even after two days he still couldn't use it that much. Plus he was spending extra time with Kristin since they weren't all in the same quarters at the moment. 

"We've docked," Nathan announced. "We need to leave so we can get settled in our room on the base and buy some things before I have to go to my meeting with the General." 

"Cool," Lucas said. He had been going nuts without his computers and his music. 

"Lucas, you go on with your father," Kristin said. "Katie should be here any moment." 

"Katie?" Lucas asked. 

"Yes, I'll be staying with her while we're on the base," Kristin told him. 

"You're not going to stay with us?" Lucas asked, truly disappointed. He looked at Dad and saw that he also looked hurt. 

"Don't worry, I'll see you plenty," she said. "We'll have lunch everyday." 

"Oh gee, that'll be just great," Lucas replied sarcastically. "You two need to stop being so damn stubborn and fix this," Lucas said, crossing his arms and making a pout. 

"Lucas, you will not talk to us like that," Nathan warned. 

"Whatever," Lucas said. "I'll meet you at the dock." He left the room in a huff. 

Nathan looked at Kristin. She was carefully avoiding his gaze. 

"So how long are you going to punish me?" Nathan asked. 

"This isn't about punishing you," Kristin replied, pretending to focus on her experiment. 

"Really? Cause it sure looks that way to me, and I don't like the fact that Lucas is the one getting hurt here. We're supposed to be providing him with some stability, remember?? You've got him on an emotional roller coaster right now." 

"Oh yes, that's right...this is all my fault," Kristin said, shaking her head. 

"Well you are the one calling off the wedding, not me," said Nathan. 

Kristin was about to reply when Katie stepped into the lab. 

"Ready to go?" Katie said chipperly, but then pause when she saw the glares Kristin and Nathan were exchanging. "Uh...should I come back later?" 

"No," said Kristin. "I'm ready to go." 

Nathan watched as Kristin walked out of the lab with Katie. "Women!" he grumbled and left to meet Lucas on the dock. 

___________________________

Nathan could see the disappointment on Lucas's face when he walked up to the boy alone. 

"Is Mom really staying with Katie?" Lucas asked. 

"Yes, she is," Nathan replied. "Come on, let's go buy some clothes." 

Lucas followed behind glumly. 

They went to the store on the base and Nathan bought him and Lucas several new outfits of clothing along with other necessities. Lucas also managed to get a new walkman and several new CD's to play in it. 

Dad promised to take him to a computer store off base the next day to pick out a new laptop and to even pick up a set of Sound Master Pro speakers since Lucas' old speakers weren't just going but were now gone. 

Lucas was happy to get new stuff but it was clear the boy was still distracted. 

"Lucas, don't worry, okay. Kristin and I will work this out," Nathan said. 

"She called off the wedding," Lucas said. 

"She's just upset," Nathan said. "She hasn't really called off the wedding, she just said that." 

"That's the problem about fighting," Lucas said. "You say things you don't mean, but once it's said you can't unsay it." 

"You're right," Nathan said. "Come on, let's carry all of this stuff to our room so I can go to my meeting." 

___________________________

"So," Katie started, "mind if I ask what is going on between you and the Captain?" 

"Only if I can ask what is going on between you and Ben?" Kristin replied. 

"What?" Katie gasped. 

"Don't what me," Kristin grinned. "There is definitely something going on between you and Ben." 

"Kristin, honest, the only thing going on between he two of us is the fact that nothing is going on between the two of us." 

"Ah, and I take it you want something to be going on?" 

Katie blushed. "Well, maybe." 

"Maybe?" Kristin said, raising an eyebrow. 

"Okay, you win. Yes, I admit it, I want something to happen, but you have to promise you won't tell anyone what I just said. Promise." 

"I promise," Kristin said. 

"Okay, I confessed," Katie said, "now it's your turn." 

"Well, in case if you haven't guessed, I'm mad at Nathan." 

"Well duh!! But why?" 

"Because he's behaving like a jerk," Kristin replied. 

"Okay, you'll have to do better than that," Katie insisted. They had walked to her room and stepped inside. Each had a seat on their own bed. 

"I can't believe he risked his life like that! What he did was suicide! Plus, he was so reckless in his actions that it caused Lucas to go out there after him! Then he has the nerve to blame me for Lucas' being upset! Ooohh! That man can drive me crazy sometimes." 

"But you still love him, right?" 

Kristin's scowl softened and she blushed as she said, "Yes, I still love the jerk." 

"Then don't blow it," Katie said. "Don't throw love away like I did." 

Kristin looked at Katie thoughtfully for a moment. "Why did you and Ben divorce? If it's not to painful to talk about it." 

"You know, it was for some of the stupidest reasons," Katie said, "But at the time they all seemed valid. I left Ben because he was happy all the time. I left him because he loved me unconditionally and I couldn't love him that way. I left him because I was worried about my career, my reputation, and my future. Bu you know what, my marriage didn't fall apart because of personality flaws in Ben. It fell apart because of the personality flaws in me. It was all about me and what I wanted." 

"And now you have regrets," Kristin said. 

"More than you could possibly imagine. Maybe it's cause Ben has grown up some, but truthfully I think it's because I've grown up some, I realize just what I've lost, and I wish I could get it back." 

"Ben still loves you Katie, he never stopped loving you." 

"I know, but I think it's too late now. He may love me, but he doesn't trust me. I hurt him, hurt him bad a few weeks ago." 

"Ah, so you're the reason for his transfer request." 

"Yes. We made love. It was great, but I panicked and told him it had been a mistake. He was devastated. Now he doesn't want anything to do with me. He's convinced that I would only hurt him again. The sad part is he's probably right." 

"It's never too late. You need to go to him, tell him how you feel. Make him listen." 

"I don't know," Katie said. "Besides, at the moment you're not exactly the best person to be taking advice from when it comes to love. Didn't you just call off your wedding?" 

"Touché," Kristin laughed. 

"I have an idea," Katie said. "What do you say we go to the Officer's Club tonight and have a little fun. I'm off duty tomorrow. I don't know about you, but I could definitely use a couple of drinks and just have a little fun and forget about all these problems for a while." 

"I don't know," Kristin replied. 

"Oh come on," Katie said. "It has to be better than just sitting here moping over our dysfunctional love lives." 

Kristin giggled at that. "Fine, I'll go, but I'm not going to drink. I've never been too fond of alcohol." 

"Oh, whatever," Katie moaned. 

"Well, if I'm going out tonight I'm going to need some new clothes," Kristin said. 

"Oh good, shopping!" Katie said. "Would you believe that I haven't actually gone shopping in over a year? I could use a new dress." 

"Something to get Ben's eye?" Kristin teased. 

Katie just had a mischievous grin on her face. 

______________________

Nathan returned to his room to find Lucas passed out on his bed. He was dressed in clean new clothes and had his sling on his left arm. Even across the room Nathan could hear the music coming from Lucas' new headphones. 

How on earth could he sleep with music positively blasting into his eardrums? He toyed with the idea of turning them off but he knew it would wake up Lucas the minute he did so he left them on. 

He sat down to start filling out his report on the incident that had happened aboard the seaQuest. His meeting with Frank had gone pretty well. Truthfully it ended up being more of a social visit than it had a debriefing. 

He had been writing the report for about thirty minutes when a knock came at the door. He hurried to open it before the person knocked again and woke Lucas. 

"Hello Jonathon," Nathan said, stepping out into the hallway. "What can I do for you?" 

"Well, I came to ask you and Lucas to come to the Officer's club tonight. Since we all have the day off tomorrow most of the senior crew has decided to go and just unwind for a bit." 

Nathan thought it over and nodded with a smile. "Actually, that sounds like a great idea. What time?" 

"About 8:00 if that's okay," Jonathon said. 

"That will be fine. We'll see you there." 

__________________________

"Why do I have to wear a tie?" Lucas groaned. 

"Because it's the Officer's Club, not Chucky Cheeses," Nathan said. 

"Why am I going to this?" Lucas asked. "It's all adults, they're going to be playing old people music, and I'm too young to drink. Boy, I'm just going to have a blast," Lucas grumbled. 

"Lucas, just come on. You don't have to stay long if you get bored." 

"Fine," Lucas said. 

He followed his Dad down the elevator and across the base to the Officer's Club. He walked inside and whistled. It was pretty fancy in here. 

"Yeah, that's why I made you wear the tie," Nathan said. 

"There they are," Lucas pointed. Ben, Tim, Miguel, Ford, and Crocker were all sitting at a table motioning for them to join them. 

Nathan and Lucas made their way over and had a seat. 

"Hey Cap, let me buy you a beer," Crocker said. 

"No thanks, but I wouldn't mind a coke," Nathan said. 

"Dad," Lucas whispered, leaning over to talk into Nathan's ear. "If you want a drink you don't have to not have one just because I'm here." 

Nathan gave him a smile. "You don't mind." 

"This isn't like before," Lucas said with a smile. 

Nathan patted his leg. "You know what, Chief, I'll take that beer." 

"No problem, I'll be right back," Crocker said. "I'll grab a coke for Lucas too." 

"Thanks," Lucas said. 

"So how did the debriefing go with General Thomas?" Ford asked. 

"It was routine," Nathan said, not bothering to go into detail. 

The next twenty minutes passed with just the men talking about nothing important. Lucas was the first one to notice Mom and Katie enter the club. His eyes popped out of his head when he saw them. Mom was dressed in a red strappy dress that revealed more skin than he thought Mom should be showing, and Katie wore a short, white dress that reminded him a lot of the one Marilyn Monroe wore in that movie where her dress blew up, but he had to admit that they were a sight to behold. He noticed that the heads turned on every man they passed. 

Lucas looked at the men sitting at the table and saw that they had also noticed Katie and Kristin come into the club. Both Dad and Ben's eyes were glued to the two women as they walked gracefully across the room and had a seat at the bar. 

They hadn't been sitting there for even a minute when several men approached them and began to talk to them. Lucas could see the jealousy on Dad and Ben's face. Everyone at the table could see it. 

"So Cap," Crocker said, trying to ease the tension, "how long will it be before seaQuest is fixed?" 

Nathan didn't even hear the question. 

"Cap!" Crocker tried again. 

"Dad," Lucas said. 

"Uh, what?" Nathan said. 

"I was asking how long till seaQuest will be shipping out again," Crocker repeated. 

"Oh, it looks like it'll be about two weeks before she'll be back to normal," Nathan said, making a point to turn his back to Kristin. 

Soft music began to play and Tim elbowed Ford. "Why don't you go ask Katie to dance?" 

"No, I don't think so," Ford replied. 

"But I thought?" 

"You thought wrong. I'm not the person Katie wants to dance with," Jonathon said. That comment got Ben's attention as he quickly turned his head to make sure he had heard the Commander correctly. 

"Well I'm sorry to hear that," Tim said comfortingly. 

"Yeah, me too," Ford said, taking a swig from his beer. 

______________________

"Can I buy you a drink," he asked. 

"I can buy my own drink," Katie replied. 

"Fine. My name is Ron, what's yours." 

"Listen Ron, I'm not looking to pick up someone tonight. I'm just here with my friend to relax a little." 

"Whoa, I'm sorry, I didn't mean any offense. It's just that you're so beautiful that I had to come and introduce myself. You can't blame a guy for trying." 

Katie knew this guy was full of it but she still found herself blushing at the compliment. "Ron, I'm sorry. My name is Katie, this is my friend, Kristin." 

"Hello Kristin." 

"Hello," Kristin replied. 

"Are you sure I can't buy you ladies a drink?" 

Katie looked at Kristin and Kristin just shrugged. "Fine, but just one," Katie said. 

"Wonderful." Ron flagged down the bartender. 

"What would you like?" Ron asked. 

"Uh, I don't know. How about a Martini," Katie said. 

"Fine, and you?" 

"I'll have a Cosmopolitan. I haven't had one of those in years," Kristin said. 

"I thought you weren't drinking," Katie teased. 

"Just one," Kristin said. 

The bartender brought their drinks and Ron paid for the order. Kristin listened to Ron and Katie's attempts at awkward conversation. That was when she turned and saw that they had an audience. Good grief, it seemed like every man who served on the boat was watching them. 

"We have company," Kristin whispered to Katie. 

Katie looked back and groaned. "Oh you've got to be kidding." She suddenly felt very silly in her skimpy dress. 

"Now now, none of that. We came to have fun and I think that's exactly what we should do," Kristin grinned. "Ron, you and Katie should go dance." 

"What?" Katie said. "No, maybe later." 

"Nonsense," Kristin smirked. "Go on and dance." Kristin was practically pushing Katie off her stool. 

"Sure," Ron said. "I'd love to have a dance." 

"Kristin," Katie hissed. 

"Go on," Kristin said. "If they are going to stare you may as well give them something to stare at." 

Katie finally understood what Kristin was up to and cracked a small smile herself. 

"Fine, come on Ron. Let's dance." 

Kristin watched Katie and Ron, as did everyone else from seaQuest. She knew she really shouldn't meddle in Katie and Ben's life but she simply couldn't help herself. She spied a glance at Nathan and quickly turned away when she saw that he was looking at her. She sipped at her drink and realized that she had already finished it. 

She motioned for the bartender to please get her another. She'd just have one more. She wanted to be careful since she almost never drank. 

"Hello, I've never seen you here before. I'm Admiral Jacob Jones, but I'm pretty much known as J.J. around here." 

"Hello, I'm Kristin Westphalen." 

"Are you in the military?" J.J. asked. 

"Lord no," she laughed. "Actually I'm the Chief Science Officer on seaQuest." 

"Wow, that's an impressive position." 

"Thank you," she said. 

"seaQuest. That's Bridger's boat, right?" 

Kristin's breath caught in her throat. "Yes, yes it is." 

"Did I say something wrong?" 

"No, uh, will you please excuse me?" Kristin said and turned and walked away before the Admiral could reply. 

Nathan couldn't believe that Admiral Jones was hitting on Kristin. Everyone knew that J.J. was as horny as they came. His sexual conquests had been fodder for the grapevine for decades. 

Nathan excused himself from the table and walked towards Kristin. He didn't fail to notice Lucas' smile. He knew the boy was desperate for them to work this out. Truth was he was just as desperate. He had been angry with Kristin, but now that anger was gone. It had been replaced by fear and loneliness. She had been avoiding him for two days now and that was too long. 

"Kristin, can we please talk?" Nathan asked, intercepting her on the way to the ladies room. 

She looked at him and nodded her head. 

"You look beautiful," Nathan said. 

"Thank you," she replied. "Katie and I did some shopping today. It seems I suddenly needed a whole new wardrobe." 

"I'm sure some of your things can be saved when they drain our quarters," Nathan said. 

"I'm not really all that worried about it anymore," Kristin said. 

"Oh," Nathan replied. 

"Did you take Lucas shopping?" 

"Yes, he and I got new things today. Kristin, I want to apologize to you. I was angry and I said things that I didn't mean. I understand why you were upset with me and I promise not to take such crazy risks like that again. Next time I'll try and work out a better plan. Promise." 

Nathan dug in his pocket and pulled out her engagement ring and held it out to her. She looked at the ring for a moment. Nathan saw that she was getting teary eyed but she didn't take the ring. 

"Nathan, I accept your apology, and I'm sorry for what I said too, but I can't take your ring back." 

"What? But why?" 

"Nathan, I'm sorry, but I really don't think we should get married." 

"Kristin, if you're worried about me don't be. I said I wouldn't take anymore risks like that and I meant it." 

"I'm sorry," Kristin said, "but the wedding is off." She stepped past him and hurried to the ladies room. Nathan was left standing there feeling completely confused. Sure, he had upset her but this was ridiculous. They had had a fight. One fight, which he had just apologized for. It made absolutely no sense for her to be doing something this extreme. 

He wasn't going to lose her without a fight. He loved her and he wanted an explanation. He suddenly marched over to the ladies room and went inside. He saw Kristin washing her hands with two other women by the sink. 

"Excuse me ladies," Nathan said. "But I need to have a word with my fiancé." 

The two women just looked at him but then quickly stepped out of the room. 

"Nathan, honestly, have you lost your mind?" Kristin asked. 

"No, what it seems I've lost is you and I want to know why." 

"You already know why," she replied. 

"No I don't. You're canceling the wedding makes no sense. I love you and I know you love me. I made a mistake but it's like you're doing this on purpose. You are deliberately pushing me away. Why? Have I done something else wrong? Have you stopped loving me? What in the hell is going on here?" 

"Nathan I don't know what you're talking about. You aren't making any sense." 

"I'm not making any sense!!! Excuse me but three days ago everything was fine. We were in love, we were happy, and we were getting married. Now you are standing here telling me that because of one incident all of that is gone. Why are you throwing me and Lucas away? What's wrong?" 

"Look...I...I don't...I just can't do this again," she said, tears starting to fall down her face. "I don't want to talk about this right now. I'm going to my room." 

"Kristin, please, talk to me." 

Kristin picked up her purse from the sink and quickly left the ladies room. Nathan followed her out and went after her. 

Kristin was lost in her own world and didn't even see Lucas standing there. 

"Mom?" 

She stopped to look at him. Lucas saw she was crying. 

"Mom, what's wrong?" 

"Nothing sweetheart." She saw Nathan approaching and said, "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." Then she practically ran from the building. 

Nathan stopped when he got to Lucas. "Dad, what happened? Why is Mom crying?" 

"I wish I knew, kiddo. I really do." 

"So is the wedding still off?" 

"I'm afraid so," Nathan said, running a hand through his hair. "Listen, I have to go. I need to be alone for a little while. Will you be okay here by yourself for a bit?" 

"Yeah, sure," Lucas said. "I'll just hang out with the crew." 

"Fine, I'll come get you in a while." Nathan then turned and left. 

Lucas watched his Dad leave and walked glumly back to the table. 

"Lucas, what's wrong?" Tim asked. 

"Everything," Lucas mumbled. 

"What?" Tim asked. 

"I...I can't really talk about it. It's sort of personal," Lucas said. 

"Okay, but if you need to talk I'm there for you," Tim said. 

"Thanks," Lucas said, forcing a smile. 

Ben hadn't noticed that Lucas was unhappy. He was too fixated on Katie dancing with some jerk. He quickly turned away when Katie made eye contact with him. 

Katie smiled when she caught Ben staring. He was jealous. She wasn't used to wearing high heels and her feet were starting to hurt big time. 

"Do you mind if we sit back down?" she asked Ron. 

"Not at all. Actually I could use something to drink after all this dancing." 

Katie nodded. They walked back over to the bar and had a seat. 

"Would you be offended if I bought you another drink?" Ron asked. 

Katie thought for a moment and smiled. "No, that would be fine thank you. I wonder where Kristin is?" 

"Maybe she is in the ladies room," Ron said. 

"I hope I didn't upset her by leaving her alone for too long," Katie said, searching the room. 

"I doubt it," Ron said. "We were only on the dance floor for about ten minutes." 

"Maybe I should go find her," Katie said. 

"Why don't you check the ladies room first? If she's not there then, at least come and finish your drink before you go. She probably just went to her room." 

Katie smiled. "All right, I'll do that. Excuse me one minute." 

"No problem," Ron smiled. He watched Katie head for the ladies. The bartender set their new drinks on the counter. Ron looked around to make sure no one was looking before pulling the drug out of his pocket. He quickly tossed the fine powder into Katie's drink and stirred it up. 

A minute later Katie returned. "She wasn't in there. If you don't mind I'm going to finish this and go find her. She was a little depressed today and her ex-fiancé is here, or was here, and I want to make sure she's okay." 

"Of course, I understand," Ron said. "You're a good friend." 

Katie took a few sips of her drink. 

"You said her ex 'was' here. Um, do you think maybe they left together? You might go to your room and walk in on something, well, you know. He might not be her ex any longer, if you get my meaning." 

Katie looked back that the seaQuest table and saw that Lucas was still there. "Oh my, I think you're right," she said. "They're gone but their son is still here. They wouldn't have left Lucas unless..." 

"Unless they needed a little privacy to make up properly," Ron laughed, making Katie blush. 

"Well, I guess I don't have to rush out of here after all," Katie said, spying another glance at Ben. Ron was very charming, but how she longed for Ben to walk up to her and ask her to dance, or talk, or anything. 

"Would you like to get out of here and go for a walk on the beach?" Ron asked. 

"Ron, I need to be honest with you," Katie said. "You are a very nice guy, but I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I'm in love with someone else. I'm really not here to pick up a man. My friend and I just came to relax for a little bit." Katie finished her drink and said, "I think I'm going to go now. Thank you very much for the drinks, and the dance, but really, I think it would be best if I left." 

"Sure. I understand," Ron said. "Would you like me to walk you to your room? Can't be too safe these days." 

"No thank you. I know how to take care of myself," Katie said. She stood up and took her purse from Ron when he handed it to her. She was surprised to find that she was feeling a bit tipsy after only two drinks, but then it had been a very long time since she had had alcohol. 

"Good night, and thanks again." 

"Good night," Ron replied. 

Katie saw Ben looking at her and she gave him a small smile and even a wave as she left the bar. Ben noticed that Katie was a bit wobbly as she walked away. He wondered if he should go after her and make sure she got to her room okay. 

He looked back at the bar and saw that the man Katie had been talking was also watching her leave. The man finished his drink, stood up and straightened his tie, and then followed Katie's footsteps. 

Ben saw the way the man had watched Katie and he was suddenly feeling very nervous. He had this incredible feeling that something was wrong. 

"Ben, you okay?" Lucas asked. 

"Uh, oh, yeah. I'm fine. I'll talk to you later, kid. I've got to go," Ben said. He stood quickly and grabbed his jacket off the chair and sprinted from the room. 

"What's his problem?" Crocker asked. 

"Don't know," Lucas replied. He was starting to feel like he didn't know anything anymore. 

____________________________

Nathan was walking along the sandy beach looking at the stars. Like Lucas, when he was upset he needed to the water to sooth him. There was a full moon tonight and it glistened like a million diamonds as it reflected off the rippling water. 

The beach was relatively deserted with only a few people here and there. He noticed that most of the people were couples in love. He had just walked past his third couple sitting on the sand kissing. He wasn't surprised by this. The night was beautiful, and very romantic. 

As he walked he came upon someone sitting alone staring at the water. As he got closer the light of the full moon let him see that it was Kristin. He stopped, uncertain of whether he should turn back and leave her alone, or if he should take advantage of the romantic setting and try to work things out with her. He loved her so much, he couldn't lose her. 

He walked up to her slowy and said, "Kristin." 

She turned to look at him and he saw the moon light reflected in the tears that were falling down her face. 

Nathan sat down next to her and pulled her close. "Oh honey, what's wrong? You're hurting but I don't know how to help you if you won't tell me what the problem is." 

She didn't give him an answer, instead she just snuggled into his embrace and cried. 

"Shh...it's okay...shh...I've got you. Kristin, I love you so much. Please talk to me. What has you so upset, so afraid?" Nathan continued to hold and rock her, comforting as best he could. 

"Just hold me," Kristin said, still crying softly into Nathan's shoulder. 

"For as long as you want," Nathan replied, tightening his grasp around her. 

_____________________________

Katie was almost to the Officer's Dorm when she started to really feel dizzy. She stumbled and held on to the light pole for a moment to get her balance back. She realized that something was wrong with her. Maybe it had been ages since the last time she'd had a drink but still, she shouldn't be feeling this way after only two drinks. 

"Katie, are you okay?" came a concerned voice. 

She looked up and saw a blurry image of Ron standing there. "What are you doing here?" she asked. 

"Well, I know you said you could take care of yourself but the gentleman in me told me to follow you and make sure you made it home okay." 

"You're fo...foll...following me?" Katie slurred. This revelation made her nervous. She started to back away from Ron. God her head was spinning. Suddenly she had a moment of clarity. "You...you did this. My...my drink." 

She watched as the smile on his face slowly disappeared and was replaced by something else. Something hungry...primal. He started to walk towards her. She knew she was in trouble. She turned to run but she fell down almost immediately. Ron grabbed her by her arms and lifted her off the ground. 

"Come on, let's get you to my place," Ron said. "I'll take care of you." 

"No!" Katie said, struggling to get out of his grasp. She kicked Ron in his shin and he growled in pain and dropped her for a moment. 

"You bitch!" Ron said. 

Katie was so dizzy that she couldn't stand up so she started to crawl away from him. Ron almost laughed at the sight of her trying to escape. 

He walked up to her and rolled her onto her back. Then he backhanded her across her cheek. 

"NOOOOO!" a voice roared. 

Ron looked up to see someone barreling down on him. 

Ben threw himself at Katie's attacker and the two went rolling across the ground. Ben was in a rage and was up in an instant and began to throw punches at Ron's head with lightning speed. Ron was so stunned that he never even had the chance to strike Ben even once. 

Ben finally stopped hitting the man when he noticed that he was finally unconscious. He stood up breathing hard and ran a trembling hand across his mouth. He saw that his knuckles on his right hand were all bleeding. 

He looked at Katie lying on the ground and raced to her side. 

"Katie...Katie, sweetie," Ben said, shaking her softly trying to wake her. 

"B-Ben," she sighed. 

"Yeah, it's me. You're going to be okay," Ben said. 

"He was going to..." she couldn't finish her sentence as she started to cry, something she almost never did. 

Ben pulled her close and held her tight. "Shh, it's over. He can't hurt you now." 

"Ben, get me out of here." 

"We need to call the MP's." 

"No," she whispered. "No let's just go." 

"Katie, this guy was going to rape you. We have to have him arrested." 

"Ben no, I want to go to my room. Not telling anyone." 

"Katie, this wasn't your fault." 

Katie was becoming agitated and she pulled away from Ben to stand up. "I'm not reporting this," she said. She cursed softly when she lost her balance again and Ben caught her before she could hit the ground. 

"Okay...okay," Ben said. He held on to her so she wouldn't fall as they walked away leaving Ron unconscious on the ground. He didn't like the fact that Katie was going to let this guy get away with what he did but he also could understand why she didn't want to report it. Even though women had been in the military for decades now things like this still had a way of hurting their careers. 

"Ben," Katie whispered. "I...I can't walk. He drugged me." She was starting to fall again but Ben scooped her up into his arms and cradled her close to him. 

"I've got you. Just relax, I'll take care of everything," Ben comforted. He carried her back to the Officer's Dorm. He was going to take her to her room when he realized that he didn't know where her room was and he couldn't ask her since she was now passed out. 

He did the only thing he could. He took her to his room. It was a challenge to get his keys out of his pocket and open the door but somehow he managed. 

He gently laid her on the bed and hurried to the bathroom to get a washcloth and clean her up some. He washed the dirt from her face along with the dirt on her hands and knees. He went back to the bathroom and washed the blood from his knuckles and put band-aids on all of them. 

Once he was done he covered her with a blanket and then pulled a chair over next to the bed to keep an eye on her during the night. He wanted to be there to comfort her if she woke up. 

________________________

Lucas looked at his watch. It was going on midnight and he was tired. He had expected Dad to come and get him by now. He wondered what was keeping him. He tugged at his sling. It was starting to bite into his neck and his arm was hurting. 

Ben had gone, as had Tim and Miguel. The only people left were Crocker and Jonathon who were playing darts. Well, he had waited long enough. He was going to his room so he could go to sleep. He stood up from the table and headed for the door. 

He didn't notice the man that was following him. 

________________________

Kristin had finally stopped crying and for a moment Nathan thought she had fallen asleep but then she pulled away from him and wiped her eyes dry. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered. 

"For what?" Nathan asked. "Kris, I'm so confused. What is happening between us?" 

"Nathan, you won't understand. I barely understand myself." 

"Try me," Nathan said. "I promise to listen." 

Kristin looked at him for a moment, then turned her eyes back to the ocean before starting to speak. "Have you ever wondered why I wanted a long engagement?" 

"Truthfully, no. I figured you had your reasons. I knew about your previous marriages, I knew you had been hurt. I figured you were nervous and wanted to go slow to be sure you weren't making a mistake." 

"You're partly right," Kristin said. 

"So what's the part that I'm missing?" Nathan asked. 

"That as much as I want to marry you I don't want to marry you. I know that makes no sense. It's just that, I love you. I love you more than you could possibly imagine, and when you asked me to marry you and we agreed to wait a year, it seemed so far off, kind of like it would never get here. 

"Nathan, I loved both of my other husbands. I was happy with both of them, but after the wedding, both marriages went down hill. Jack changed after the wedding. He became someone I didn't even recognize any more. He went from being kind and loving to controlling, manipulating, degrading, and that was even before I found out about the other women. 

"Then there was Adam. Adam was everything that Jack could never be. He loved me even after the wedding, but we had only been married for a year when we found out about his cancer. I spent the next year and a half watching him slowly die and I was powerless to help him. Here I was a doctor, and I couldn't do a thing to save his life. 

"Now there's you. You are like an angel to me, but I'm so afraid. Afraid that you'll change like Jack, or that you'll die and leave me like Adam did. Seeing you risk your life the other day just sort of brought all of these fears that I had been trying to deny right to the surface. Suddenly I couldn't ignore it any longer, and I panicked." As she finished fresh tears began to fall down her face. 

Nathan caressed both of her cheeks and then lifted her face so he could look her in the eyes when he spoke. "Kristin, I can understand why you're afraid. Believe it or not I can understand more than you know. For a long time I felt the same about you and Lucas. I didn't want to love again, but I thank god everyday that I didn't let my fear stand in my way. I wouldn't give up this past year and a half for nothing. You and Lucas are the whole reason for my existence. Kris, there are no guarantees in life, but I'll tell you the same thing I told Lucas. Time is a gift. We don't know how much we have, but you can't throw it away. I love you. Please don't turn your back on me. Don't leave me. I need you." 

"I need you too," Kristin said, and laid her head on his shoulder. "Please forgive me." 

"Honey, there's nothing to forgive," Nathan said. "I only wish you would have told me about your fears sooner. We could have worked through them together." 

________________________

Lucas was almost back to the Dorm when it happened. He was tired so he never heard the person coming up behind him, but suddenly something struck him hard on the back of his head. Lucas went down on his knees and used his one arm to keep from hitting the ground face first. He was dazed and not really sure what had just happened. 

Two arms went around his waist and began to drag him towards the trees and bushes. He turned his head to look up and saw a man wearing black and a black ski mask standing over him. 

"Hel...." 

Before Lucas could call for help he was struck again in the head with some kind of rubber baton. He fought not to lose consciousness but he was seeing spots after the last blow. 

"What do you want?" Lucas moaned. 

The man didn't answer him. Instead he raised the baton and swung it down on Lucas' stomach. 

"Uhhg!" Lucas gasped and curled to protect himself. "Help!" Lucas called but his voice was just a little more than a whisper. 

The baton made contact with his injured arm and Lucas cried out in pain. 

Lucas lay motionless as the man pulled out a piece of paper and pinned it on to Lucas' shirt. 

"Why?" Lucas whispered. 

Again the man didn't speak. He grabbed Lucas' tie and pulled his head up off he ground. He swung the baton once more against Lucas' head. This time the blow was too much and Lucas lost his fight to remain conscious. 

Lawrence quickly looked around to be sure that he hadn't attracted any unwanted attention. Seeing that no one was around he quickly pulled out his camera and began to snap several pictures of Lucas' unconscious form. He made sure to get close-ups of the blood trailing down the boys face along with ones from a further distance that showed his whole body lying on the ground. Once he snapped an entire roll he decided it was time to leave. 

________________________

"No...no...stop," Katie mumbled. She began to toss and turn on the bed. 

Ben was sleeping in the chair next to the bed but woke instantly and reached over to wake Katie from her nightmare. 

"Katie...Katie you're okay," Ben said. 

Katie's eyes fluttered open slowly. She turned her head and saw Ben sitting there, keeping watch over her. 

"Ben," she whispered. "Where am I?" 

"You're in my room. I didn't know where yours was." 

Katie sat up slowly on the bed and raised a hand to her aching head. 

"Are you okay? Do you need something?" Ben asked worriedly. 

"Water," Katie said. 

"No problem." Ben hopped up out of his seat and went to the bathroom and came out a second later with a glass of water. He sat on the edge of the bed and held it out for her to take. Katie quickly drank down the entire glass before handing it back to Ben. 

"Ben, thank you," Katie said, looking up at him. 

He smiled at her and said, "It was no big deal." 

"Yes it was. He was going to rape me, maybe even kill me. You stopped him. Thank you." 

"You're welcome," Ben said. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" 

"My head hurts, but otherwise I think I'm okay," she said. 

"You should lie down and get some more rest. I'll leave you alone." 

"Ben, no," Katie said quickly. 

"What?" he asked. 

"Stay with me. Don't leave." She looked like she might cry again. 

Ben was surprised to see Katie like this. She was usually so strong, but then anyone would be a little shook up after what had happened to her. He moved to sit on the bed next to her and she didn't hesitate to snuggle into him and wrap her arms around his waist. 

Ben held her close while she rested her head on his chest. 

"Ben, I need to tell you something," she said. 

"What?" Ben asked. 

"I...I love you," she said. 

Ben was so shocked by what she said that he actually let go of her and stood up away from the bed. He stared at her with his mouth open. 

"Ben..." 

"Katie don't. Not again. This isn't you talking. It's the fear, or the drugs, or maybe gratitude, I don't know. All I do know is that come morning when you're calmer and you come to your senses you're going to tell me that this is all a mistake and I can't go through that again. Damn it, I can't." 

"No Ben, it is me, I swear. I've been wanting to tell you this for a long time. I almost told you before you left for Romania, but I was afraid. Then you came back and I tried to tell you, I really did, but you told me to stay away from you from now on. So I did as you asked, but it was so hard. Once I realized what a fool I had been, all I could think about was you. I'm so sorry for all the pain I've caused you. Please forgive me, and please tell me that you still love me, that I'm not too late." 

Ben stood there and stared at her. She wanted to know if he still loved her. God yes, with all his heart. He wanted to believe what she was saying, was desperate to believe it, but he was afraid to get his hopes up. He still wasn't convinced that it wasn't the drug or fear making her say what she was saying. 

"Ben, please say something." 

"Katie, I...I don't know what to say. I do love you. I never stopped. For the past seven years it's been you and only you, but you have to understand something. This is me. This is who I am. I'm no different today than I was the day you walked out on me so before you do this, you better be sure." 

"I am. I'm sure that I love you," Katie said. "Maybe you haven't changed, but I have. I need you. Please, make love to me," she begged. 

Ben walked slowly to the bed but didn't move to touch her. 

Katie could see the hesitation in his eyes, the fear and the uncertainty. She reached out and took his hand and kissed it softly. "Please," she said again. 

Ben couldn't resist any longer. He sat on the bed and pulled her to him and began to kiss her hungrily. Katie returned his kisses and began to unbuckle the belt holding his pants. 

Ben unhooked the top of Katie's dress and let it fall down around her waist. He gently ran his hands over her exposed breasts before he leaned down and began to kiss them, rolling his tongue over her nipple. 

"Oh god Ben," Katie hissed. 

Ben stopped what he was doing and looked into her eyes once more. "You're sure?" he asked. 

"I'm sure," she whispered. 

"I love you," Ben told her. 

"I love you." 

_______________________

Lucas woke up and moaned. Pain. So much pain. He looked around and saw that it was still dark and that he was surrounded by bushes. No one was going to find him here. He needed to get out in the open. 

He rolled from his back to his side and started to cry as the pain in his head was so intense. He eased back on to his back. Oh god he hurt. 

"H-Help me," he groaned. "Help." He couldn't take the pain any longer. He closed his eyes and surrendered to it. 

_______________________

Nathan was lying on his back on the sandy beach but he wasn't asleep. Too many thoughts were traveling through his mind to actually nod off. He smiled as Kristin mumbled something in her sleep. She was nestled comfortable in his arms, head resting on his shoulder. 

He tried to remember the last time he had spent the entire night out on the beach. The last time that came to mind was with Carol, before she had gotten pregnant with Robert. It felt nice to be doing it again, holding Kristin in his arms. He gently lifted the jacket he had draped over her up a little loser to her chin. 

He was tempted to wake her and head back to the dorm, however. He remembered that he had left Lucas at the Officer's Club. Surely by now the boy had gone back to their room but there was a good chance that Lucas was up pacing the floor worried about him. It was almost time for the sun to rise after all and Lucas didn't have a clue where he was. 

Then again, the sun would be up soon. It would be very romantic to watch the sunrise with Kristin. Lucas probably wouldn't mind, especially since he would be so happy to find out that they were back together again. 

Nathan's mind was so full of thoughts that he didn't pick up on the fact that Lucas was hurt. 

_____________________

Admiral Jones stepped out of the Officer's Dorm. He didn't have to any more but he still woke up at 5:00 am every morning to get his jog out of the way. Everyday was the same. Up at five, jog for an hour, back in the room by six, showered and dressed by 6:30. He suspected that if he lived to be a hundred he would continue to do the same routine. 

He'd just stepped on the trail next to the dorm when he noticed his shoe was untied. He bent down and tied it. He just happened to look to his left and saw something white at the bottom of the bushes. He stood up and walked over to them to find out what it was. He walked behind the bush and gasped when he saw the boy lying there bleeding and unconscious. 

He quickly checked for a pulse and was relieved to find it. He ran back to the dorm to call 911. 

______________________

Ben woke the next morning to find Katie sleeping peacefully in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and smiled. It hadn't been a dream. Katie was really here with him. She loved him. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this happy, this complete. 

_______________________

Kristin sat next to Nathan and leaned into him as she watched the clouds shimmer like gold as the sun emerged from the horizon. It was a magnificent sight. She straightened up and looked into his face. Nathan turned to look at her. 

"What?" he asked. 

"I love you," she said. 

"I love you too," Nathan replied. "So is the wedding still on?" 

She laughed. "Yes." 

"Good, cause I want you to be my wife. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." 

"Same here," she said. 

"Lucas is going to be very happy," Nathan said. "He's been so worried the past few days." 

"I guess I probably did hurt him by calling off the wedding," she said. "He's already been through so many domestic problems that this was probably the last thing he needed." 

"We'll talk to him, explain what happened," Nathan said. "I'm sure he'll be okay once he finds out that the wedding is on and you're still going to be his Mom." 

"We should probably go back now. He must be worried half to death." 

"That would probably be a good idea," Nathan agreed. 

He stood up and helped Kristin to her feet. She picked up her purse and her shoes and walked with Nathan hand in hand. 

When they got to the sidewalk she slipped her shoes back on. They both tried to dust off some of the sand on their clothes. 

"We're a mess," Kristin laughed. 

"Just be glad it didn't rain," Nathan teased. 

It took about five minutes to walk to the dorm. Just as they were walking up an ambulance pulled out of the driveway at top speed. There were several police cars along with the military police. 

Fear gripped Nathan's heart. He knew...he just knew. Both he and Kristin started to run. He stopped at the first officer he saw. 

"Who's in the ambulance? What's happened?" 

"Sir, calm down. We're looking for the parents of a teenage boy. He was wearing a white dress shirt, has blond hair, Caucasian, do you think you know him?" the officer said. 

"Oh my god, it's Lucas, my son. What happened? Where is the ambulance going? I have to get to the hospital." 

"They are taking him to St. Bart's, but I need to talk with you first, ask a few questions." 

"Please, can't this wait," Nathan said. "I need to see my son. I don't even know what's wrong with him!" 

"Sir, your son was beaten rather badly but it isn't life threatening. Now what is your name? We need your cooperation if we're going to catch the person who did this." 

Nathan and Kristin were both detained for almost an hour as they answered questions galore. Nathan was finally becoming desperate. 

"Listen, I will help you all you want but I am going to see my son right now!" he yelled. 

The officer's all looked at each other and finally nodded that they could go to the hospital. Nathan walked up to one of the MP's and asked for a ride to the hospital. When they found out that they were talking to Captain Bridger, a man who was practically a legend, they quickly agreed to the request. Nathan and Kristin got in the back seat together while the MP drove them to St. Bart's. 

"This is my fault," Nathan said. "I was supposed to go back to the club and pick him up. I left him there. I forgot about him and left him there. If I had gone back he would be okay." 

"Nathan you couldn't have known this would happen." 

"Couldn't I? The boy's been receiving death threats for god's sake, and I left him all alone to walk back to the dorm in the dark. How could I have let him down like that?" 

"Nathan this is as much my fault as it is yours. You left him last night because of me. If I hadn't been behaving like a spoiled child we all would have been together last night." 

"Kristin, you weren't behaving like a child. You were upset, legitimately upset." 

They pulled up in front of the hospital and they quickly jumped out of the transport and thanked their drivers before running inside to find out about Lucas. They hurried in to the emergency room and saw two police officers talking to a doctor. 

"Excuse us," Nathan said. "But my son was just brought here. A teenage boy, blond hair, blue eyes, white dress shirt." 

"Yes, I was just examining him. We haven't treated him yet though because we needed a parent's consent." 

"You have it. What's wrong with Lucas?" 

"Well he received several blows to his head. We suspect a concussion. He also was struck with a blunt object in his stomach and his arm. We won't know more until we get x-rays and a CAT scan. Now that you're here we can get started. Why don't you go to the administration desk? There are papers that need to be filled out." 

"Yes, of course. Can I see Lucas, please, just for a moment?" 

The doctor looked uncertain but finally relented. "Come on. It'll be a couple of minutes before we can get him in for the CAT scan." 

"Thank you," Kristin said. 

Nathan and Kristin followed the doctor to Lucas' bed in the ER. The doctor drew back the curtain and they both saw him. He was lying in bed unconscious. His arm was wrapped in ice and ice was positioned next to his head trying to keep the swelling down. A large bruise covered the left side of his face and they could see dried blood in his hair. 

Nathan stepped over to the bed and took Lucas' hand in his own. "Kiddo, I'm so sorry," Nathan said. "I should have been looking out for you. We're going to find who did this, that's a promise." 

An orderly walked over and began to move things around. "Excuse me, but I need to get him upstairs for his CAT scan." 

Nathan nodded. He gave Lucas a kiss on his forehead and stood back. Kristin repeated his actions and they watched as Lucas was wheeled away. 

They stepped back into the hall so Nathan could take care of Lucas' paper work. 

"Excuse me, but I'm Officer Chan. I need to speak with you a minute. Can I get your and the boy's name please?" Nathan gave him all the basic information he needed. 

"Do you have any idea who would want to do this to your son?" Officer Chan asked. 

"I wish I did," Nathan said. "I'd kill the son-of-a-bitch." 

Officer Chan nodded in understanding. "Captain, this was pinned to your son's shirt." Chan pulled out a piece of paper that was protected inside a plastic bag. 

Nathan took the piece of evidence and read it. 

Bridger, 

You can't protect him.   
No matter where you go   
I will be there.   
When the time comes   
I will kill him and you   
Can't stop me. 

"My god," Kristin said. 

"Captain, I have to ask, who would hate you this much that they would hurt your son like this?" 

"Officer, this is going to sound crazy, but I think I might have an idea," Nathan said. Nathan spent the next thirty minutes explaining to Officer Chan about how he and Lucas both believed that there was a chance that Lawrence Wolenczak was still alive and behind what was going on now. 

Nathan could see it on the officer's face that he thought Nathan was crazy. 

"So no one else comes to mind that might have wanted to hurt your son?" Chan asked. 

"No, I'm afraid not," Nathan sighed. 

"Fine, I best get going then. If we find out anything we'll be sure to let you know," said Officer Chan. 

"Thank you," Nathan said. 

______________________

Katie woke up feeling safe and comfortable in Ben's arms. 

"Good morning," she said and she kissed him on his cheek. 

"Good morning," Ben replied. "Did you sleep well?" 

"Yes," she replied, stretching out next to him. "I slept amazingly well." 

"This is nice," Ben said. "I've dreamed of waking up with you in my arms. Katie, marry me." 

"What?" she asked. 

"Marry me, please," Ben said. 

"Ben I love you, but we can't right now. We're not like the Captain and Kristin. We're both military. If we get married the UEO will separate us. We won't be able to stay together on seaQuest and at the moment I don't want to leave there, or lose you." 

"You're right. I guess we need to think about what our future is going to be." 

"Ben, let's just worry about the present at the moment," Katie said with a smile. 

Ben laughed. "You're right. I just want to be responsible this time. I don't want to lose you again." 

"No," Katie said. "Don't change. I love you the way you are. I don't want to repeat the mistakes of the past." 

Ben was about to reply when there was a knock at the door. 

"Katie, why don't you go in the bathroom. I'll see who's at the door." Ben pulled on his pants. 

"Okay." 

Ben waited for her to pull on his shirt and close the bathroom door before he opened the door to the hall. He was shocked to see the police standing there. Had they found out about Katie's attacker? 

"Can I help you?" Ben asked. 

"I hope so. We are investigating an attack that happened last night?" 

"How did you find out?" Ben asked. 

"Well we found the victim outside this morning. He had to be rushed to the hospital. He's in serious condition." 

"What!?" Ben had hit the man, yeah, but not hard enough to put him in the hospital. 

"Listen, did you see anything strange happen last night. Did you see a teenager outside by any chance?" 

"Teenager? Oh my god. You don't mean Lucas do you? Lucas Bridger?" 

"Yes. Do you know the victim?" 

"What hospital is he in?" 

"Uh...St. Bart's," the officer said, looking through his notes. "So did you see anything last night?" 

"No, nothing. You said Lucas was serious, but he is going to be okay, right?" 

"I really couldn't tell you," the officer said. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work. If you remember something, no matter how insignificant, please give us a call," then the officer gave him a business card and walked away. 

Ben closed the door and yelled, "Katie, get dressed. We have to go to the hospital!" 

"I heard," Katie said, coming out of the bathroom. She already had her dress and her heels on and was putting one of Ben's shirts on over the dress. "I'm ready." 

Ben quickly pulled on a pair of socks and put his shoes on. "Come on," Ben said and grabbed her hand as they hurried out the door. 

______________________

Nathan was pacing back and forth in the waiting room. Kristin was sitting in a chair drinking her second cup of coffee. 

"Nathan sit down," Kristin said. "You're pacing back and forth is giving me a headache." 

"I'm sorry," Nathan said. He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

"Captain!" came Ben's voice. "How is Lucas?" Both Ben and Katie came rushing in to the room. 

"We don't know just yet. He was beaten but we're waiting for the test results to know more." 

"How did you find out?" Kristin asked. 

"Police officers are going room to room looking for witnesses," Katie told them. 

"Have they learned anything?" Nathan asked. 

"We don't know," Ben said. 

They stopped talking when they heard someone yelling and screaming. It only took Nathan a second to recognize the voice as Lucas'. In the next instant he felt Lucas' terror. He took off to find what was wrong. 

"Lucas!" Nathan yelled. 

Nathan entered the room where Lucas and his doctors were. Lucas was backed against the wall with his arms out swinging back and forth. 

"Where am I?" Lucas yelled. "Mom...Dad!! Mom...Dad!!" 

"Lucas," Nathan said. "It's okay son." Nathan was puzzled as to why Lucas was behaving this way. 

"Dad? Dad where are you?" Lucas asked. 

Suddenly Nathan understood why Lucas was so afraid. Lucas couldn't see. 

"Son, I'm right here. I'm walking up to you right now. I'm going to take your hand, okay." 

"Okay," Lucas said. 

Nathan did as he said and took Lucas' hand in his. 

"Dad," Lucas whispered and leaned into Nathan. Nathan quickly wrapped his arms around Lucas. 

"I can't see," Lucas said. "I can't see. All I can see is a blinding white light." 

"Shh, it'll be okay. The doctor's will figure out what's wrong," Nathan said. Careful not to let Lucas go he bent down and lifted Lucas into his arms. Lucas wrapped his arms around Nathan's neck and held on tight. 

Nathan turned back to face the people in the room and saw the relieved and grateful looks on the doctors' faces. 

"Captain, if you'll put him back in his bed, we can explain what's happening," one of the doctors said. 

Nathan nodded and carried Lucas over to his bed and set him down. Lucas let go of Nathan's neck but began to grab for something to hold on to when he felt Nathan pulling away. Nathan quickly grabbed Lucas' hands and held them firmly. 

"Doctor, what did the CAT scan show?" Kristin asked. 

"Mom, you're here too," Lucas said. 

"Yes darling. I'm here. Your father and I worked everything out." She figured Lucas could use a little good news at the moment. She saw his face smile at the announcement, but his eyes still showed the fear he felt. 

Lucas' doctor interrupted the family moment. "The CAT scan shows two areas of swelling on Lucas' brain. Neither of them are very large or life threatening. One of the areas is causing pressure on Lucas' optic nerve, as you may have guessed, which is why he can't see at the moment. This is only temporary. The fact that he can see white light is a very good sign that he'll make a full recovery just as soon as the swelling goes down." 

"How long will my eyes be like this?" Lucas asked. 

"I can't give you an exact length of time. It could clear up in a few days or maybe a week. It shouldn't take more than a week for the swelling to go down," the doctor said. "Another concern is your arm. You have extensive bruising and tissue damage to it." 

"A lot of that happened on seaQuest. There was an accident and Lucas' arm was trapped in a door for several minutes," Kristin offered. 

"Yes, well when he was attacked last night it seems that his arm was hurt again. He has a hair line fracture just above his elbow." 

"No, not another cast," Lucas whined. 

"Actually, we can do without the plaster cast. Instead we are going to use a Velcro brace to immobilize it, but you will need to wear the brace for six weeks to make sure it heals properly." 

"What's the difference between the brace vs. the cast?" Lucas asked. 

"Well the brace can at least come off so you can shower and get dressed easier," the doctor said. 

Lucas nodded. He small adrenaline rush from jumping out of the bed was quickly wearing off and the pain in his head was beginning to throb intensely. He felt for his Dad and found his shoulder, then he laid his head on it. 

"Lucas?" Nathan asked. 

"I'm so tired," Lucas said. 

"That's to be expected," the doctor said. "As soon as the orthopedic fits him for his brace we'll have him moved to his room." 

"Can we stay with him?" Nathan asked. 

"I can't have all four of you going with him to Ortho, but I'm sure one of you can go. That would probably be a good idea. I'm sure your son will feel more secure that way." 

"Four?" Lucas said sleepily. 

"Hey kid," Ben said. "I had to come down here and see how my best friend was doing." 

"Hi Ben," Lucas whispered. 

"And I'm here too," Katie said. 

"Katie?" Lucas asked.  The surprise could be heard in his voice. "You two came together?" 

"Yeah," Ben grinned. "We'll talk later, okay." 

"Okay," Lucas said, already falling asleep in Nathan's arms. Nathan carefully laid Lucas back on his bed and brushed the hair out of his eyes. 

"Kristin, can you stay with him?" Nathan asked. 

"Me? I just assumed you'd want to go," she said. 

"I do, but I need to talk to the police. I want to find out if they've learned anything yet about who attacked him." 

Kristin nodded. "Of course I'll stay with him. If you find anything out please call me and let me know." 

"I will," Nathan said. He gave her a quick kiss and then headed for the door. "Ben, keep an eye on them will you?" 

"Of course sir," Ben said. "No one is going to get near Lucas while I'm here." 

"Thank you," Nathan said. 

Nathan stepped into the hallway and walked towards the exit. He prayed the police had something. One thing was for sure, if Lawrence Wolenczak was alive and doing this to Lucas, Nathan would personally kill the bastard with his own bare hands. 


End file.
